Crossover for toy railways



Nov. 12, 1935. E. D. BOISSELIER cRossovER FOR TO'Y RAILWAYS Filed Nov.23, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 isselwr NOV. 12, 1935. D, BOISSELIER 2,021,045

CROSSOVER FOR TOY RAILWAYS Filqd Nov. 23, 1934 s SheetS -Sheet 5 I 3mmD..Bois.selier;

Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CROSSOVER FOR TOYRAILWAYS Application November 23, 1934, Serial No. 754,495

6 Claims.

This invention relates to crossovers for toy electric railways, and moreparticularly to a crossover which, because of its simple and inexpensiveconstruction, may be economically 5 made and sold to meet the demand fora reasonably priced article that may be added to the line of accessoriesof toy train outfits to enlarge the field of play at a minimum expense.

A general object of the invention is to simplify 1 and modernize thetype of crossover shown in the patent to Frohne #1,390,119 datedSeptember 6,

1921 to render it adaptable tocurrent manufacturing expedients andpractice as well as present day toy tracks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a crossover having meansfor bridging or carrying the current from the end of one third rail of astandard track section to the third rail of an opposite standard tracksection while the pins of 20 the third rails of the other pair ofstandard track sections are insulated from the crossover either by anair gap or special insulation. Thus, the invention proposes to eliminatethe expense of making and assembling two bridge pieces while at the sametime adequately providing for electrifying both loops of a figure 8 typeof track.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a crossoverincluding a jumper unit comprising a conductor piece assembled to aninsulating strip before the unit is attached to the crossover proper,and which, when in position, will insulate the conductor from thecrossover and also permit of automatically making electrical contactwith the third rail or current carrying rail of 'an adjoining tracksection, when the crossover is placed in use.

With the above and other objects in View which will more readily appearas the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which: 1

Figure 1 is a plan view of a crossover assembled with two sections oftrack, the two remaining sections being omitted to illustrate thestructure at points where the crossover otherwise connects with theremoved sections.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modification of the crossover shown inFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the pre-formed conductor units.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of installingand using the crossover.

Similar reference characters designate corre- 10 sponding partsthroughout the several figures of the drawings. I

As will be observed from Figure 1, the crossover is designated generallyas A and includes a body I preferably in the form of a plate or sheet,such as sheet metal, formed at its outer edge portions 2 with thedownturned supporting flanges 3, and formed inwardly of said edges 2with the upstanding aligned pairs of wheel bearing rail portions 4-4 andl -4 and a pair of similarly formed aligned rail portions 5-5 and 5 -5It will thus be apparent that the rail portions 4 and 4 are in trackalignment, and likewise the portions 5 and 5 are in track alignment, andthe medial portion of the body I between therail portions 4 and 4 isprovided with the intermediate cross-rail members 4 while the spacebetween the rails 5 and 5* has the crossrail members 5 locatedtherebetween, suitable clearance in each instance being provided for theflanges of the wheels.

The rail portions 4-4, t -4 5--5, and 5 5 are preferably hollow ribs,and the outer ends of the rail portions l-4 and 4 4 provide hollowsockets 66 for receiving the connecting pins 1-! carried by the standardthree-rail track sections '1, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, and whichincludes the wheel bearing rails R--R in metallic contact with the metalties and the third rail R which is insulated therefrom. .The rail 40forming portions 5-5 and ti -5 are reduced in diameter at their outerends to provide integral offset hollow connecting pins 8& adapted to.enter the hollow head portions of the rails of the standard tracksections '1', one of which is 5 also shown in Fig. 1, and includes thewheel bearing and third rails as referred to above.

The web of the body I between the rail forming portions 5 and 5 may becut away as indicated at 9 to provide a clearance slot or air gap forthe 50 pin ill of the insulated third rail of the sections T. Thus, itwill be apparent that while the track sections T may be attached to thecrossover by pushing the hollow heads of the wheel bearing rails thereofonto the pins 8 of the crossover, 55

nevertheless, the pin ll of the third 'or current carrying rail R of thetrack section T which overlaps the body of the crossover is insulatedtherefrom.

The parts of the body I between the rails 4-4 and l -fi may be providedwiththe shallow notches ll in the edge thereof and with the slots it forthe purpose of receiving the ends of an insulated conductor unit B ofthe type shown in Figure 5. This unit preferably consists of a flatmetallic conductor strip it having an insulating piece it securedthereto by the fastenings I5 or their equivalent. The insulation I4 ispreferably longer than the metallic conductor strip thereby to permit ofthe unit being assembled beneath the body l of the crossover and betweenthe rail portions l4 and l -4 so that the ends of the insulating pieceI4 may be threaded in the slots E2 to hold the previously assembledconductor and insulation strip to; the under side of the crossover. Theends of the conductor strip is may be then bent over the top or uppersurface of the body I lying between the rails referred to, but will beentirely insulated'from the metallic body l of the crossovertheconductor it which are exposed at the top of the crossover provide forengaging and making electrical contact with the connecting pins [6 ofthe third rail R of the track section T. The

wheel bearing rails R-eR of the track section T have the pins 7-?fitting in the'sockets 6+6 as previously set forth. Therefore, whenthetrack sections T are assembled to the crossover, it will be apparentthat current from the third rail may be conducted across the body I ofthe crossover, due to the fact that the pins l6 of the leaving andreceiving track sections are in contact with the conductor I3. As analternative method of insulating the ends of opposite third railsleading to the crossover, thearrangement shown in Figure 4 may be .used.Instead of providing the air gap as shown in Figure 1 between each pairof aligned third rails, an insulating strip M may be applied to thecrossover in the same manner as the strip it, leaving the ends of thestrip uppermost on the crossover exposed for engagement with theconnecting pins of opposite third-rails. In this way, opposite thirdrails will be insulated just as effectively as with the air gap.

By reference to Figure 6' it may how the third rail of both loops of thetrack layout may -be energized with the use of only a single insulatedconductor for electrically connecting opposite third rail ends while theends of the opposing third rail sections are disconnected. The trackintended to be used with the presentcrossover is, as previouslyindicated, of the conventional three-rail type consisting of metallicties and a pair of spaced Wheel bearing rails directly engaging themetallic ties while the third or central conductor rail is insulatedfrom the ties. The'rails of the track sections T-T and T-Tare connectedin the manner previously referred to so that the wheel bearing rails andthe metallic body of the'crossover are in a connnon circuit (groundcircuit), while the third'rail is in an insulated circuit.

, Current issupplied to the wheel bearing and third rails by atransformer T coupled with a source of electrical current by thecoupling 0 and having the feed wires ii and I3 respectively'connected'with the third rails of one loop and the outer wheel bearingrails of the track lay- The resilient ends of be observed be in one sideof the circuit and the third rail 7 of both loops of the track layoutwill be in the other side of the circuit, but the circuit is onlycompleted when the wheel bearing rails and the third rail are engaged bythe wheels W of a car which are connected by a metallic axle, and thetrolley T which feeds the motor of the toy train. Thus, assuming that anelectrically propelled locomotive or car is in position on the trackswhen the current is turned on through the transformer, the said electricmotor propelled car will travel through both loops of the track layout,relying on the momentum of the car or vehicle to carry the trolleyacross the dead ends of the third rail which are located in the air gaps9 or on the insulation I l of the crossover body.

With' further reference to the rail sections 4 and 4 and 5 and 5 whichcooperate to form. the trackway through the crossover it may be pointedout that the integral intersecting rails 4--5; l5 and 5 l?- provideintegral intersecting frog points formed from the body of thecrossover.- As previously pointed out the rail sections are formedinwardly, of an edge ofthe body and therefore are of unbrokensubstantially. transversely arched or inverted U-shape formation therebypresenting smooth surfaces at opposite sides of the rails. The crossrails 4 and 5 are of similar formation so that allof the 'rail portionsare 7 integral with the body and no openings or gaps occur in themetallic body itself thereby providing a smooth imperforate crossoverbody. The depending flanges 3 at the sides of the body maintain thetreads of the rail sections in. the proper plane for alignment with thetreads of the rails of adjoiningtrack sections so .as to provide ineffect continuous rail portions throughout. the track layout with whichthe crossover is used.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the presentcrossoverprovides for effectively connecting track sections leadingthereto, and contemplates the use of a single bridging conductor.

joined, and conductor means extending between other aligned pairs ofrails.

2. A crossover for toy railways, including a body having .two pairs ofintersecting integral rail portions, and said body having cut outportions at opposite sides thereof and between one pair of rail portionsthereby to clear the center rail end of adjoining track sections, and aconductor strip mounted on an insulating. piece adapted to lie next tothe body of the crossover, said conductor strip passing under thecrossover between the other pair of rail portions and having its freeends bent back toward itself and providing contactsurfaces for thecenter rails of adjoining track sections thereby to conduct electriccurrent past the crossover. V I

3. A crossover for toy' railways comprising a body including a pluralityof pairs of intersect.- ing integral rails formed inwardly from the edgeof the crossover body, and portions cut away from the outer edges of thesaid body at opposite sides thereof and between opposite pairs ofintegral rails to provide clearance for the center rail of connectedtrack sections, and conductor means between other opposite pairs ofrails to bridge current across said body.

4. A crossover for toy railways including a metallic body formed at itsedges with downturned supporting flanges and formed inwardly of saidedges with opposite pairs of intersecting rail sections havingcross-rail portions therebetween, the medial portions of the bodybetween one of the opposite pairs of rail sections being cut away toclear conductor third rails of a track section connected thereto, andconductor means insulated from the body and having end portions lyingbetween the other pair of opposite rail sections and at the top of thebody to thereby engage with the conductor third rails of connected tracksections.

5. A crossover for toy railways including a metallic body havingopposite pairs of intersecting rail sections having cross-rail portionstherebetween, the medial portions of the body between one of theopposite pairs of rail sections being cut away to clear conductor thirdrails of a track section connected thereto, the portions of the bodybetween the other opposite pairs of alined rail sections being formedwith a slot, and a conductor unit consisting of an insulation piece anda conductor piece secured together, the insulation piece lying adjacentand beneath the body of the crossover and having the end. portionsthereof extending over the top of the body and through said slotsthereby to hold the unit to the crossover, and said conductor striphaving the ends thereof bent inwardly over the ends of the insulationpiece thereby to provide conductor means for engaging with the thirdrails of connected track sections.

6. A crossover for toy railways including a metal body having aplurality of pairs of opposite intersecting rail members formed toconnect with standard third rail track sections, means between the railmembers of one oppositely aligned pair of such members for insulatingthe third rail pins of one pair of opposite standard track sections fromthe crossover, and insulated conductor means between the rail members ofthe other opposite aligned pair of such members, said latter meansincluding a conductor strip and an insulation strip lying next to theunderside of the crossover body and both having their end portions bentback over opposite edge portions of the body of the crossover to exposethe conductor strip for direct engagement with the third rail pins ofthe other pair of opposite standard track sections.

EARL D. BOISSELIER.

